The New Lancer
by katie1999
Summary: New world Zorro. Have you ever wondered why the lancers in Los Angeles are so clumsy and incompetent? Look at them with a different eye. Lancers POV. A new Lancer comes to Los Angeles. How will he adapt? Who will he be loyal to?
1. Chapter 1

**The new lancer**

Author's note: Have you ever wondered why the lancers in Los Angeles are so clumsy and incompetent and never managed to shoot Zorro? Look at them with a different eye!

_Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else._

**Chapter 1 - First Day**

"You are the new lancer?" Alcalde de Soto greeted him.

"Si, Alcalde, Private José Martinez, at your service." He saluted to the alcalde standing in front of his desk.

The alcalde skipped over some papers in front of him. "I asked the governor in Monterey to send me a good man and what I read from your papers here, you seem to be the one. You were stationed in Monterey before?"

"Si, Alcalde. Under Comandante Escobar."

"The comandante writes you are one of the best rifleman he has and that you never miss your target."

"Si, Alcalde."

"And you are a good horseman as well. Good, good." The alcalde looked at him. "You know what the greatest problem is here in Los Angeles?"

"Si, Alcalde, the outlaw Zorro. Even in Monterey we have heard of him. I will do my best to finish him."

"Excellent, Private. With that attitude you are the right man here." The alcalde got up and opened the door of his office. "Mendoza," he called. "Mendoza!"

A few minutes later the sergeant arrived, a little breathless from his run.

"Alcalde, you called for me?"

"Mendoza, this is your new soldier José Martinez, fresh from Monterey. He is an excellent shot and will help us to get Zorro. He can teach you and your incompetent bunch of lancers a thing or two about shooting."

"Madre de Dios, a new lancer!" the sergeant sighed.

"Mendoza, you should be grateful, the comandante in Monterey is sending us one of his best men and you are complaining?"

"It is just the work of showing him around and getting him acquainted to Los Angeles," the sergeant backed up.

Outside he saw a lancer standing guard. "Pedro Sanchez, is that you?" he addressed him.

"José Martinez, what are you doing here in Los Angeles?" Sanchez was surprised to see him.

"I'm now stationed here. The alcalde asked for enforcements to capture Zorro and the comandante in Monterey sent me to Los Angeles. But now that I see you, I can't believe why they sent me here. While we were stationed together in San Francisco you were the only one to best me in shooting competitions. An excellent rifleman as you should have been able to shoot Zorro. Why did the alcalde say you were all incompetent?"

"Sanchez, you know Martinez?" the sergeant asked.

"Si, Sergeant. Martinez and I were stationed together in San Francisco before I came to Los Angeles."

"Sanchez, you'll show Martinez around then. Any complaints about him and you'll eat together with him in the garrison for a month." The sergeant ordered.

"A month! Sergeant, you can't be serious." Sanchez complained.

"You heard what I said, Sanchez!" the sergeant was firm.

"Sergeant Mendoza, you'll have no reason to worry about me. I'll do my best to fulfill my duty and help you with capturing Zorro."

The sergeant didn't seem to be very convinced by his statement and rolled his eyes. "I have to get back to the tavern, before there are no more tamales left." Then he turned around and headed for the tavern with the big sign "Victoria".

"Is the food in the garrison really that bad, Pedro?" José asked his comrade.

"Yes, that's why nobody eats there if he can avoid it. But the food in the tavern is the best in the area. That's why you should try never to get cross with the owner, Senorita Escalante. She has a fiery temper and if she banns you from her tavern there is no helping you."

"Pedro, tell me about this outlaw Zorro, why aren't you able to catch him?"

Sanchez started to talk about Zorro what an excellent swordsman he was and how neither the old nor the current alcalde were ever able to beat him with the sword. And with his whip he would pull you from your feet in a heartbeat. Then he would whistle for his horse to outride you like the tornado his horse was named after. And he was impossible to catch and very cunning, because he always knew what was happening in the pueblo.

"Pedro, you sound as if you admire him, but he is only an outlaw and it is our duty to capture him," José interrupted him.

"Yes, José you are right. He is an outlaw, just stay by my side if he comes into town and have your sewing kit ready. Now I'll show you the cuartel and the rest of the pueblo." Sanchez changed the topic.

The food in the tavern was as excellent as he was told and the work was as in any garrison in California and his comrades in the garrison were decent fellows. Martinez thought he could like it here in Los Angeles.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – An encounter with Zorro**

The daily routine in Los Angeles proved to be no different from all the other posts he had been stationed and he easily adjusted to it. About a week after his arrival the alcalde announced new taxes Martinez had never heard of before. He didn't even knew horse tethering in the plaza could be taxed.

Soon after the new tax was pinned on the wall sergeant Mendoza came into the cuartel to instruct his men. "The alcalde tries to capture Zorro once more with this new tax and sooner or later he will come to the pueblo. You know what to do."

"Sergeant, I'll do my best to make you proud of me. I have hardly failed a shot and I'll bring you Zorro." Martinez exclaimed. He didn't know what to make of the look his comrades exchanged.

Was it envy that he was going to do something they hadn't been able to in years?

"Martinez, just stay in line with your comrades, they'll take care you won't get harmed." His comrades nodded in confirmation to the sergeant.

As expected Zorro rode into town in the afternoon on his big black horse. He tipped over the line of lancers as if they were toy soldiers and those who were still standing he knocked off their feet with his whip. Then he quickly disarmed the alcalde with his sword and made him renounce the tax. Before Zorro left he kissed the hand of the tavern owner and complimented her beauty riding away on his fast horse. Martinez was the first lancer to get back on his feet. Together with his comrade they fired on the escaping man but all seemed to miss. Concentrating on his target he lifted his rifle to bring down the bandit. Just when he was about to shoot Pedro Sanchez stumbled and fell into him making him miss Zorro's back.

"I'm sorry, José, I was shoved from behind and stumbled."

"It can happen, Pedro, but why did you miss Zorro? In San Francisco your aim was as excellent as mine."

"Oh, I just missed. As I said I was shoved from behind."

After the commotion the lancers went to the tavern to have some lemonade. Eager to be served Martinez called the tavern owner. "Senorita, we are very thirsty. I nearly shot Zorro today, but the next time I'm going to get him for sure."

She came over with a tray full of lemonades setting it down at the table without distributing it. "You nearly shot Zorro today?" she inquired a little unfriendly.

"Si Senorita, it was just bad luck Sanchez stumbled into me or I would have hit him."

He had thought he would be complimented but he had never expected she would react this violently. "Get out of my tavern at once. I don't care for customers who nearly kill Zorro," she said in a deadly voice.

"But Senorita, I have done nothing wrong," he tried to defend himself.

"I said get out, I have just run out of lemonade," she repeated distributing the glasses to his comrades and one extra to Sanchez. "This one is on the house, Private Sanchez," she smiled to him who took the glass gratefully. Martinez looked for support from his comrades, but all were busy with their glasses looking the other way.

"Senorita Escalante, Martinez is new in his Los Angeles, he doesn't know his way around here yet," the sergeant pleaded for him.

"Then he had better learn fast," the senorita replied angrily vanishing into the kitchen.

The sergeant looked at Martinez apologetically. "You had better leave, before she gets angry at us all."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Serving in Los Angeles**

The next weeks Zorro came to the pueblo several times to make the alcalde rescind some taxes, keep him from flogging someone or to deliver some bandits to the jail.

Every time he knocked over the lancers, locked them in the cuartel or led them into a false chase. Martinez wondered why his comrades took so long to get back to their feet or weren't very effective with their shooting.

He tried to shoot Zorro while he was escaping on his horse but again someone stumbled into him. The first two times he thought it was coincidence but after the third time he got suspicious.

He went to sergeant Mendoza to complain about it.

"Private Martinez, you say it wasn't an accident that someone shoved into you while you were trying to shoot Zorro?"

"Si, Sergeant Mendoza."

"Sanchez," Mendoza called him, "Private Martinez says that Private Gomez stumbled deliberately into him today. Have you seen something?"

"Sergeant Mendoza, it was really an accident. There was this dog that ran in front of Gomez' feet, he stumbled and fell on Martinez." Sanchez stated. The other lancers nodded in confirmation.

"As you can see, Martinez, it was an accident. Now don't bother me any more with such nonsense," Mendoza commanded.

"But there was no dog, Sergeant," Martinez objected.

"Do you want to contradict the word of your commanding officer and that of your comrades?" Mendoza demanded.

"No, of course not." Martinez retreated.

Z Z Z

Not really convinced Martinez went over to the tavern to have a drink. After the first time he had learned that it was not advisable to boast with his efforts of shooting or capturing Zorro in front of the tavern owner. Nobody wanted Zorro's love to be cross with them when the alternative was to eat in the garrison. Drinking his lemonade on his own he heard the sergeant chat with Don Diego who was a good friend of Mendoza and invited him to lunch regularly. Between various other topics Mendoza came to talk about the latest maneuvers the alcalde had planned.

"The alcalde wants us to patrol the southern valley next week because he believes Zorro might hide in one of the caves there. Besides riding the whole day in the sun we will be forced to search dark small caves and who knows what lives inside."

"Mendoza, you are going to have a hard week," Don Diego said sympathetically. "Have some more wine then you'll endure it easier."

"Victoria," he called the owner, "bring some more wine for the sergeant here."

"Don Diego, you are really a friend," Mendoza thanked him.

After Don Diego had left the table, Martinez sat down at Mendoza's table. "Sergeant Mendoza," he said in a low voice to his commanding officer, "shouldn't we keep the information about our next maneuvers private? What if Zorro hears about it? How can we capture him if always know where we are going?"

"Martinez, you think Zorro might hear of our plans?" Mendoza made a face as if the idea was new to him scratching his head. "Hm," he was obviously thinking about it. After a while he said, "I think you are worrying too much, Martinez. I was only talking to Don Diego. He is a friend and not a military man. He has no use for that kind of information. And Zorro is Zorro. He always knows everything that is going on. Have I ever told you the story how Zorro saved my life by dragging me out of my burning house?"

Then Mendoza told elaborately how he had won the money and how Zorro saved him when his house was burned down.

It wasn't the first story of this kind he was told about Zorro. Whenever he asked his comrades about encounters with Zorro they eagerly told him how the cunning Zorro had managed to escape their trap or how he had saved their lives once again.

Now that he came to think about it he noticed that his comrades never said anything bad about Zorro. Of course they complained about the Zs in their uniforms they had to patch regularly, but otherwise they respected him, not very differently from the other citizens of Los Angeles who held him in great esteem.

Z Z Z

About a month later a group of lancers including Martinez were chasing some bandits near Perdido Canyon. They had nearly managed to catch them when one of the bandits turned around and threw some explosives in front of the pursuing lancers. The horses reared and threw their riders. Those of his comrades who were not injured by the fall or the hooves of the horses were busy catching and calming down the horses or taking care of their comrades. Martinez was one of the less fortunate one. By his fall he twisted his knee and beside the pain it was somehow in a wrong angle.

Sometime later Zorro arrived and offered his help. None of his comrades tried the least to capture him, they obeyed his orders as if he was their commander and not Mendoza.

Surprised Martinez looked at Zorro when he knelt down beside him examining his knee.

"This looks very bad, Martinez. I have to fix it immediately if you are to keep the functioning of your leg. This will hurt a lot."

"Why are you doing this, Zorro? I try to shoot you and you help me."

"I have no quarrel with you and you are simply following orders," Zorro replied.

"Sanchez," Zorro called out.

"Si, Zorro?"

"Hold him still while I treat his leg."

Except for a searing pain in his leg, Martinez remembered nothing anymore.

Z Z Z

Later the doctor told him that Zorro's early treatment had saved him the use of his leg. It would be some time until he could return to his regular duty, but he would be fine again.

Zorro had captured the bandits later and brought them to the cuartel. During the fight with the bandits he must have gotten injured because he was holding his right arm when he handed them over to Mendoza to put them in jail.

Z Z Z

Martinez had thought there would be less work if there was no Zorro to chase after but the opposite was the case. There were complaints from citizens and travelers alike about bandits on the road robbing and attacking travelers.

Mendoza had them chase the bandits for two weeks with very little breaks until they had captured them all. Martinez respect for Zorro grew only then realizing how much faster Zorro found the hiding spots of bandits overwhelming them on his own. Praying for the fast capture of the bandits every night when he lay down wearily in his bed after a long day in the saddle of searching and chasing he started to include a prayer for Zorro's well being wishing him to return chasing the bandits in his stead.

The assumption that Zorro was injured proved true because he wasn't seen in the pueblo for some weeks despite some new taxes the alcalde invented. Martinez saw an innocent man flogged and poor farmers taxed who had nothing to spare and his wish for Zorro's return only increased.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – A new lancer**

Six months later a new private presented himself to the alcalde to join the lancers of Los Angeles who complained about the incompetence and clumsiness of his lancers.

"Look at Private Martinez here. He came to Los Angeles less than a year ago with recommendations from his commander in Monterey, saying he was an excellent shot. But did he manage to shoot Zorro? No, he didn't strike him even once. And whenever Zorro comes to town he is no better than the others, clumsy and falling over at the gentlest of shove. Sometimes I think the other commanders want to mock me by sending me their worst soldiers faking their papers."

"Sergeant Mendoza, appoint someone to lead our new soldier around."

Outside the cuartel private Martinez was waiting for his new comrade. "Martinez, you volunteered to get our new man acquainted with Los Angeles, he has a lot learn about our pueblo. Make sure he doesn't need to twist his leg to understand," Sergeant Mendoza told him.

"I'll do my best Sergeant. I just heard from the the alcalde we will be exercising near the road to Monterey next week. Is that true, sergeant?"

"If the alcalde says so," Mendoza replied. "But now I must hurry or I'll miss my lunch appointment with Don Diego. Thanks for telling me about the planned exercise, Martinez."

The new private waited until the sergeant had left to start with his questions.

"Tell me what it is like in Los Angeles and who is this Zorro everybody is talking about?"

Martinez started to talk about Zorro what an excellent swordsman he was and how neither the old nor the current alcalde were ever able to beat him with the sword. And with his whip he would pull you from your feet in a heartbeat. Then he would whistle for his horse to outride you like the tornado his horse was named after. And he was impossible to catch and very cunning, because he always knew what was happening in the pueblo.

The food was good if you ate in the tavern and didn't have to eat in the garrison and it wasn't advisable to make the tavern owner angry with you.

When Martinez asked him if could sew a damaged uniform the new man looked at him uncomprehendingly, but nodded affirmatively which brought him a satisfactory look from Martinez.

The new private expressed his eagerness to capture the famous outlaw and Martinez rolled his eyes involuntarily. Had he ever been like that when he arrived?

He didn't mind anymore that his garrison was laughed at for being clumsy and incompetent. He was dedicated to the people of Los Angeles like all his comrades here and if that meant to miss his aim and fall over whenever Zorro raised his whip, so be it.

The new lancer had still so much to learn about Los Angeles and until then Martinez and his comrades had to watch him closely. In a few weeks he would be able to tell Sergeant Mendoza if the new one would fit into Los Angeles or not. Those who couldn't stand the constant humiliation and preferred to serve a just alcalde had left the garrison voluntarily and those who weren't able to take a stand against the alcalde however subtle were made to leave by the sergeant and the other soldiers.

His comrades never speculated about the identity of Zorro but ever since the day he had heard Sergeant Mendoza exchange information with Don Diego he had become suspicious. Sergeant Mendoza made sure that Don Diego got all the information of the alcalde's plans during their meals. The sergeant never said a word but it was clear that everything reached Zorro what he told Don Diego who faced the humiliation of family and foe for not being like Zorro. But there weren't so many blue eyed Spaniards, were there?

If a great man like him could face a worse humiliation than being knocked over in battle how could he do less? He could always leave his post and be replaced by another soldier if he couldn't stand it anymore, a choice Zorro didn't have.

It was different here, because there was only Zorro to stand between the alcalde and the people.

And Sergeant Mendoza and his lancers? They would continue doing their duty to the pueblo, subtly standing between the alcalde and the people's defender.

**Author's note:** Thanks to KlingonKitten for her beta reading and her help.


End file.
